Borough Council's planning meeting approves stadium plans
In a historic meeting at Northampton's Guildhall on Tuesday night, Northampton Borough Councillors approved plans to redevelop and expand Northampton Town’s Sixfields Stadium.
"This is a momentous day for the club and our supporters," said Cobblers Chairman David Cardoza.
"I will be honest, there were times when I never thought we would get here and without the fantastic support of David Mackintosh and Northampton Borough Council in the last couple of years we wouldn't have, but now the club can look forward to a very bright future.
"Now we have this approval we can really start pushing things on. Things are already moving forward quickly and it is possible that we will be building the roof and part of the structure of the new East Stand during the season and then finishing it off in the close season.
"We are working at a pace and the plan is to have the East Stand done by the start of next season, the hotel is going to take a little bit longer but hopefully we will be putting a planning application in for that in the next month or so.
"Our plans are also to give the West Stand an overhaul and to put new seating in to the North and South Stands. Sixfields will soon look very different and we will share our plans with supporters in more depth over the next few weeks.
"We can all be very excited about the future and so can our supporters. This is fantastic news."
The club's plans see Sixfields Stadium’s capacity increased to around 10,000. The plans include new corporate boxes and a conference centre.
The expansion of the stadium marks the first stage of a multi-million pound redevelopment of the area which will support growth in the Enterprise Zone and bring forward more revenue streams for the Football Club. Additional planning applications are expected in the near future for housing and local retail facilities, with plans for a hotel also to be submitted in the next few months.
The redevelopment of Sixfields Stadium and the surrounding area is part of a £12 million loan deal put together by Northampton Borough Council and Northampton Town Football Club.
Council leader, Councillor David Mackintosh (Con, Rectory Farm), said: “This planning application represents an important step in the expansion of Sixfields Stadium.
“Our sports clubs are an important part of life in our town and a significant benefit to the local economy. We as an administration have always recognised how important they are and we remain absolutely committed to supporting them.”